The first round was a draw. The debt ceiling was moved off to Feb. 7, 2014 and the continuing resolution kept the sequester spending levels through Jan. 15, 2014. Status quo ante.
However, it certainly looked like a loss for conservatives because hopes had been raised that the Democrat Senate and President Obama would agree with the Republican House and defund/repeal Obamacare. Reid and Obama declined/ignored that offer.
So now what? What did we learn from Round One?
First, Republicans in Congress and conservatives across the nation need to look at the strengths and weaknesses of each team. What are the pressure points? What does each side want? (It might have been a good idea to do this three months ago, but horses and barn doors….)
Second, keep in mind that Republicans and Democrats each wield a veto. The Senate can reject any House initiative. The House can reject any Senate proposal. Neither side can force the other team to accept anything. This limits one’s expectations. Strategies that insist that one team can “stand firm” and win need to take a refresher course in arithmetic and high school civics.
Third, the team that wants a change in the status quo is at a disadvantage. In August 2012 Obama wanted a gigantic hike in the debt ceiling to take him past the November 2012 election. He had to make big spending concessions to win House GOP agreement. This October, Republicans were demanding the end of Obamacare. They were fighting uphill with the sun in their eyes. The defense has the advantage in these evenly matched fights.The Senate said no.
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